Adam & Eve
by namelessjen
Summary: Before she was Alice Cooper, she was his Ally Cat.
1. Chapter 1

**Author's note** : I obviously do not own these characters or their setting. All scenes depicted here are somewhat AU, whilst being inspired by Riverdale Canon. As we do not know much about their past, all scenes are from my imagination. Keep in mind that details may also differ from the show. Hope you enjoy.

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Alice Cooper sat in her parked car all alone, she stared across the street at the two bedroom house she once called home. It had been years since she's even thought about driving down this particular street but for some reason she couldn't help herself today. Her travel mug was sitting in the cup holder beside he, she helped herself to another sip of the scorching hot liquid, and moved to restart her engine. Memories flooded her mind when she looked up. The house had looked completely different back then, it was once so run down that she thought the roof may collapse on her as she slept, the garden was no longer untidy, she admired the assortment of flowers and shrubbery that made the whole place look ten times better than it actually was. She turned the key in her ignition ready to leave when a teenage boy walked out in front of her car, she grumbled in annoyance as she waited for him to pass, her mind started to wander, thinking back to the summer between junior and senior year.

••

It was summertime when Alice first started to truly notice the weight she had gained during the colder months. She stood in the world's smallest bathroom, staring at herself in frustration. She poked and prodded at her body before cupping at her breasts, wondering why they were the only part of her body that refused to grow. A harsh knock on the door caused her to scamper to pick up her clothes. She hurriedly started pulling her shirt on over her head, stepping into her panties to make herself decent. "You fall in there or what?" Her father chuckled from the other side of the door. Alice stared at her reflection one last time, tucking her hair behind her ears before untucking it straight away. "Sorry! I'm finished!" She called back to him.

At age sixteen it wasn't uncommon for Alice to be laughed at or ridiculed for spending too much time in the family bathroom, she wasn't trying to take so long, it just happened and her father's taunts weren't going to make her half ass her personal hygiene. She wandered out of the bathroom, wet hair dripping over the back of her t'shirt. She walked past her father who was sitting in his old arm chair, staring directly at the television. She kept telling him he would ruin his eyes, but the stubborn ass wouldn't listen to her. She made it safely back into her bedroom. She kicked the door shut to drown out the sound of the television and to give herself more privacy. The humming coming from the television was blocked by the door but Alice could still hear it as she opened her laundry hamper, tossing her old clothes into it.

Her bedroom was only big enough to fit her bed and a small bookshelf. She was constantly reshuffling her books and magazines, the discarded ones lived under her bed with all of her other belongings. It wasn't the most organised system but compared to the rest of her house it was near perfect. She pulled out the latest edition of her favourite magazine, she had been waiting all week to read it and this was the first chance she's truly had to open it. Most girls she knew loved flipping through the pages just to look at the pictures, or to figure out which celebrity's photograph they wanted to cut out and make into a collage for their scrapbooks or bedroom walls. She liked that too, but she could spend hours reading through articles, only dreaming of some day writing her own.

When the television was finally switched off she closed her magazine and returned it to the place left in her shelf, her hair was still damp but she didn't mind as it was the only thing keeping her cool. After switching off her bedroom light she laid back against her pillow, too hot to bother climbing in under the sheets. Her eyes had only been closed for a short while before an excessive amount of tapping against her window woke her up. She drew the curtains opened with a yawn, almost falling backward once she saw what was staring back at her. A man in a black mask, she was about to scream out in fear when the masked intruder revealed himself and her fear turned into anger. "FP." She groaned out, pushing her window open so he could climb in. "Why do you have to be such an asshole?" She questioned, scooting over so he could sit by her on the mattress.

FP let out a laugh as he collapsed back against Alice's tiny bed. He threw his mask over into her lap, leaning back against his palms which were pressed face down on the mattress. "Admit it, it was fucking funny." He prompted, nudging her knee with his ankle. She was sitting with her legs tucked underneath her body to give him the most room.

Alice rolled her eyes at him. It absolutely was not funny for her, he had scared her half to death with that stunt. "I would have been laughing if my dad had come in here to find you doing that." She told him as she fell back against the wall, eyes moving to meet his for the first time. It was late but she had nothing better to do other than indulge the idiot who was sitting across from her. They'd known each other for a long time but it had only been a recent development where they had started hanging out together. FP wasn't someone she would usually spend time with, but she couldn't quite put her finger on why.

"And what would he say about me being in your room so late at night?" FP asked, nudging her again with his outstretched leg. He watched as Alice's face changed, he could have sworn she was blushing, but the moonlight didn't light up her face enough to tell.

"He'd call me a whore." She replied honestly. There was no point in coming up with some embellished answer, she knew for a fact that her father would say those exact words to her. He had done the same thing to her mother when she had cheated on him with his brother. Admittedly her mother was kind of a whore but that was beside the point. FP sitting on her bed didn't warrant such labels, but it wouldn't stop him if he had the chance.

"We're just sitting here having a nice conversation." FP said to her. He knew Alice was not a whore, he knew the girls around town who were labeled as such and she was far from it. He watched as she combed her fingers through her damp hair. It was a golden colour, reminded him of the sun. She met his eye and in turn started to roll hers.

"Why are you prancing about so late for?" She asked after a moment of silence was shared between them. She didn't know FP's current living situation, nobody ever did. He was a floater, slept on couch after couch never knowing which one he would end up on. She couldn't live like that, surviving on one rucksack was probably her worst nightmare. Although she couldn't fit much in her tiny bedroom, she tried her hardest to fit in everything she could possibly want or need.

FP scratched the back of his neck and shrugged his shoulders. "I don't have anywhere to sleep." He admitted to her. He wasn't telling Alice so she would offer him a place to sleep, he was telling her because he didn't like lying to her. She gave him a sympathetic look despite knowing he hated that. Before she could offer her own couch to him, he stopped her. "I'm not gonna make a whore outta you Ally Cat." He said as he flashed her a smile. Her father would probably kill him if he woke up to find that he had stayed the night, FP didn't care about that though because all he cared about was what he would do to Alice.

"You're lucky it's a warm night." She said kindly. If it were winter she might insist that he stayed, no matter the consequences that may follow that decision. She didn't like the idea of him wandering around all night trying to find somewhere safe to lay his head, but she couldn't change the situation for him.

FP simply nodded. He didn't care about the weather, he would find shelter regardless of the season, always had been quite resourceful. "I'll catch ya." He told her, jerking his head towards the window he had climbed in from not too long ago. At first Alice thought he wanted her to jump out and go with him, his words were confusing at first, but then she soon realised he was saying his goodbye. She reached over to give his arm a gentle squeeze, he offered her a smile in return before crouching by the window, jumping out in one swift movement. "See you around." He said to her quietly, pressing a finger up against his lips. He didn't want to wake her father, she didn't want that either. She stayed pressed against the glass watching him walk away until he was gone and she was just left staring at a timber fence.

••

As Betty's name appeared on her phone, Alice snapped out of her memories. She tapped on the new text message and sighed as she fell back into her current reality. She assured her daughter she was on the way to pick her up. She only needed a moment to collect her thoughts. That had been such a long time ago now, and she didn't know why it even mattered to her. The past was in the past, and she really didn't want to open old wounds. She drove back the way she came, leaving her memories behind.

Or so she thought.


	2. Chapter 2

Alice Cooper ran her finger over the rim of her wine glass. She glanced across the table where her youngest child was quietly eating her dinner. The sound of knives and forks scraping against plates made her skin crawl. Hal was in the middle of telling a mind-numbingly boring story when she snapped, setting her wine glass down beside her plate. "I want a divorce, Hal." She said to him, eyes meeting his as he stopped talking and tried to process the words that had come from her mouth. Betty dropped her fork down into her mashed potatoes, glancing between her parents who hadn't said anything since those words had come out. Alice reached for her glass again. She downed the last mouthful before standing up and walking back to the kitchen to pour herself another glass. She was going to need it.

School had only been out for a week. Alice traded in her overalls for skorts and her textbooks for cosmos. The heatwave that shocked Riverdale that year was a bitch, and everyone on the south side was left wishing they were living on the north purely for access to their upmarket neighbours with their air conditioning, and their swimming pools. The closest thing FP and Alice had to anything to cool them down that didn't involve a trip down to Sweetwater River, was sneaking into the Wyrm hoping Alice's father wasn't sitting at the bar, and if he was they were hoping he was too drunk to take any notice of them.

Thanks to Archie Andrews Sr, the great summer of '93 cool down bash was being hosted by Fred while his parents were out of town seeing a specialist. The afternoon beforehand had Alice, Fred, FP and Hermione spending time together in the basement of Fred's home. He wasn't exactly rich in the eyes of a family like the Blossoms, but from FP's perspective, the Andrews had a hell of a lot of wealth compared to his couch surfing arrangement. He liked spending time in the basement with his friends, although it didn't happen as often as it once did, considering the fact that Mrs Andrews thought he was some kind of bad influence over her precious Freddie. Hermione was busy sorting through the food and drinks, wanting to make sure nobody had any reason to be considered a failure. She wanted everything to go smoothly so when school came back, they would head into their senior year being known as the seniors who opened summer with a bang.

"We still don't have the keg. FP, I thought you said you had that covered?" Hermione asked the boy, folding her arms over her chest as she turned toward him. FP who was spread out on the two-seater couch looked up at the brunette and waved her off dismissively.

"I know a guy, he'll get here when he gets here." He assured the girl, not thinking it was a big deal. His friend would be there before the party started and that's all anyone had to worry about. Alice pushed his feet off the couch so she could sit down beside him instead. Everyone always assumed the fourpiece was composed of two couples since Fred and Hermione had been a known item since well before Christmas. Alice and Hermione weren't best friends but they got along just fine when they were around the boys, even though Alice was still a little embarrassed about the fact that Hermione also assumed her and FP were together not too long ago.

"And who is this guy exactly?" Alice questioned her not-boyfriend. FP had to readjust his position to make himself feel more comfortable but it was easy enough just to swing his legs forward and sit up like a regular person. He fumbled around in his back pocket to find a lighter before picking up the near empty packet of cigarettes that were sitting on the armrest.

"He's a friend from home," FP told the blonde. He didn't know why Alice had dyed her hair that way, but he liked it. It was obvious to anyone that she'd done it herself, but that's what made it appealing to her. She wasn't perfect. He liked people who were a little rough around the edges.

"Dude, you can't smoke inside, it'll stink up this whole room for a week and my mom will never let you back in this house again." Fred pointed out from across the room. He was trying to help Hermione, but she was too busy doing it all on her own to have time to include him in the preparations.

"Your mom isn't going to let any of us in this house again after she finds out you're hosting a summer bash up in here." FP pointed out as he lit up his cigarette without a care in the world. Alice rolled her eyes at him, moving away slightly to get out of the haze of his first puff. She was used to him lighting up around her by now, but she didn't like it when he breathed it all over her face. He was quite annoying actually.

Fred chose to ignore FP's comment because he didn't plan on letting his parents find out. He knew it was sneaky to do exactly what every parent feared when they went away but to be fair he was very easily persuaded when Hermione was involved. His first girlfriend was definitely using that to her advantage this weekend. She wanted to start her senior year off the right way, and even though this was the beginning of the summer she knew that if they pulled it off they would be invited to more parties, and start the year off the right way. She may be the only one of them who cared about that kind of thing, but none of the others objected to it so they may as well be encouraging it themselves. FP's eyes watched as the other boy left a chaste kiss on Hermione's cheek. He let out a whistle, laughing when he saw his friend's bashful expression. "Have the two of you been to bone town yet?" He asked directly. Fred flipped him off without hesitation. He didn't think that was any of FP's concern actually.

Alice let out a snort because FP was a pain in the ass but he was a funny one, at least it was funny when you weren't on the receiving end of his inappropriate comments. She glanced over at him, reaching out for the cigarette that was sitting between two of his fingers. He passed it to her even though he knew she didn't like him smoking indoors. She took a drag and let out a cloud from between her lips. "Leave them alone." She said as a delayed response, handing the cigarette back to her friend.

"Yes, leave us alone," Hermione said with a frustrated sigh. "I don't have time to supply you with wet dream material right now." She told him without even turning to look at the boy. She disappeared up the staircase back into the main house carrying a box of snacks they had been hiding from Fred's parents the last few days. Everything needed to be set up in the house and since FP and Alice were too busy sitting on their asses, she was just going to do it herself.

"If I was going to have a wet dream about any of you, it would be Alice," FP told her as she walked away. He realised what he had just said and shot Fred a threatening look, wanting the boy to keep his mouth shut. Fred snickered to himself because he had all of the power in this situation. He was the only person FP had told about his literal wet dream about Alice in recent times. It had been a pretty steamy affair, one that left the boy confused about a lot of things. He had thought about plenty of the girls from school being naked and doing extremely inappropriate things to him, but none of them had affected him in reality like the dream about Alice had. It was the only reason why Fred knew of it, he needed advice from a fellow male, someone who knew both he and Alice quite well. It backfired on him now because he realised he would have to be on his best behaviour if he wanted Fred to keep this between them.

"I am so happy to hear that, FP. It's what every little girl dreams of being when she grows up." Alice said sarcastically, kicking his shin because she could. She pushed herself up off the couch and walked over to pick up the last of the food. She carried the box and a few accompanying bags upstairs so she didn't have to deal with the boys on her own.

Fred picked up a deflated football and tossed it between his two hands. He looked over at his friend who wasted no time in spreading himself out across the couch again. Alice had left warmth in her absence which wasn't all that comfortable for him now that it was summer and it was hot as hell enough without body heat. "Don't even say it," FP told him, shaking his head. He knew Fred believed in all of this lovey-dovey crap, and thought that this dream was something to do with him secretly wanting to be with Alice, but FP wasn't buying it. He didn't think that high school romances could last, and he didn't want to waste his time with feelings for someone he genuinely cared for, risking losing her in his life forever. He didn't like having feelings about anything. He liked keeping everyone at arm's length to avoid having to deal with emotions and shit he wasn't good at.

Fred shrugged his shoulders as a response. He wasn't going to mention it, even though he really wanted to. He walked across the room to stand in front of the pedestal fan. Cold air blew across his face and he let out an appreciative sigh as it did so.

By sundown, the house was full of Riverdale High's finest. FP's friend made good on the beer delivery, and Hermione finally stopped shooting him daggers from across the room. The basement door was kept shut so nobody could go down and mess with all of the valuables they had packed away down there to avoid getting broken or stolen. It seemed like a good idea at the time but every so often someone looked like they were about to open the door and Fred spent most of the start of the night anxiously watching the door in case someone did decide to sneak down there at some point. His family didn't have many valuables, and he wasn't blind to the fact that his mother was slowly but surely swapping her belongings for cash down at the pawn shop. He didn't dare mention it though. He just needed to make sure nothing went missing or got broken between now and when his parents came home again.

Alice was too busy kicking ass at beer pong to notice when Hal Cooper and his sidekicks arrived. She didn't know them very well but she did know that they were considered 'popular' by many. She didn't understand the hierarchy of Riverdale High at all. She thought it was quite a cliche to have rich kids ruling the school. The Blossoms and the Coopers, and whoever their rich pals were, she didn't care for any of them really. She was blind to the fact that Hal has had his eye on her for years for whatever reason. He did make his way over to the kitchen table where she had just finished a mouthful of beer. She was slightly started because he walked up so close to her from what appeared to be from out of nowhere. "Coop." She said with a slight smile. "Who invited you?" She asked with quirked brows.

Hal laughed quietly to himself before he looked around the room. It was scattered with their classmates and a few familiar faced sophomores. "Hermione, of course." He answered, smiling at her.

Alice nodded her head and looked around the room herself, scanning to try and find someone else to talk to. She didn't really have anything against talking to Hal other than the fact that she hardly knew him and it was awkward as hell to be around him on her own.

"I like your top," Hal told her, bringing her attention back toward himself.

She nodded, looking down at the crop top that she was wearing. The theme was meant to involve everyone only wearing underwear, but FP had told Hermione that he wasn't walking around risking getting a boner, so she scrapped that idea and didn't give an alternative dress code. "Thank you." She said to him kindly.

"I like your top, too," FP said in a mocking tone as he walked up behind the girl. He hadn't been there long, only long enough to hear the exchange between the two polar opposites. Alice was buzzed and FP didn't trust Hal enough to believe the guy wouldn't take advantage of that somehow. His thoughts didn't jump to anything sinister, he just thought he might try and make her stick around for more awkwardly boring conversations that made her drink just to cope with his presence, that kind of thing. "Don't you own the same one?" FP asked Hal, turning his attention toward the other boy. He wore a smirk as he spoke, finding this all too amusing. He knew how to rattle feathers and he didn't hesitate to do so when it came to dickheads like Hal Cooper.

Hal gave FP an annoyed look, shaking his head. He looked at Alice with a smile before waving over at one of his friends. "I'm going to go and make the rounds, it's nice seeing you, Alice." He told her sincerely before making a move to get away from the pair while he still had most of his dignity.

A long-winded sigh left Alice's lips before she turned toward her rescuer. She could have told Hal to shove it on her own, but she didn't want to make a scene. Hermione was determined to make this party memorable for all of the right reasons, her humiliating one of the most popular boys in their class would be doing the opposite of that. Nobody took it personally when FP was a jerk to them, he was the star athlete on their football team, he could be a jerk to anybody and they'd all still kiss his ass come football season. "Have we run out of potato chips yet?" She asked FP. during the last half an hour before the party kicked off, Hermione had convinced herself that they would run out of chips. It had been mildly hilarious listening to her have a minor meltdown about it actually. FP let out a soft laugh. He turned around as if he were double checking before shaking his head.

"I think we narrowly avoided that crisis." He told her, acting as though he were relieved about it. He couldn't care less about it really, he had stolen a packet and stashed it downstairs in the basement for later, whenever he deemed this party as boring and wanted an escape.

"Speaking of which, where is the happy host couple anyway?" She questioned, looking around the room yet again, trying to spy Hermione or Fred. She didn't mind chatting to FP for a while, but she would like to know that when someone else dragged him away, she wouldn't be left alone to deal with the Hal Coopers of the world on her own again.

FP shrugged his shoulders. "They went down the hallway ten minutes ago, probably swiping their V cards as we speak." He guessed with a mischevious grin across his lips.

Alice pulled a face. She didn't want to know that. She also didn't believe it. They had the whole weekend to do the no pants dance, why do it while the house is full of people? "You need to get your mind out of the gutter you dirty bird." She told him, smirking in amusement this time. He laughed at her words, he didn't think it was that big of a stretch, everybody had sex in high school. It didn't matter where or when it happened all the time.

"You have your eye on anyone here tonight?" Alice questioned him. She started walking toward the kitchen as she spoke, happy when FP got the hint to walk with her. She wanted an answer to her question because she needed something to tease him about. He always knew how to tease everyone around him but never seemed to give up anything for them to return the favour. It was smart and she envied him for it. He knew how to make her and everyone else squirm and she wished she knew how to return the favour.

"I was kind of hoping some of the senior girls would show up, but you know they're all too cool for high school parties now." He shrugged. He wasn't entirely serious. He had a lot going on in his life that kept him busy enough to not worry about not getting laid. This party wasn't exactly filled with lots of potential girlfriends. He didn't really date anyone, and most of the girls in the other room were the girlfriend type. He wouldn't mess with someone's heart like that unless he was looking for the same thing they were. It was less messy that way. "What about you? Cooper, not your type?" He questioned, filling his cup with booze. He took a sip before setting it down on the bench in front of himself.

Alice shook her head. "I hardly know him." She reminded her southside friend. She didn't exactly fit in with that crowd. After Penelope made it clear that she would never be a vixen, Alice realised that her second-hand clothes, her ten dollar hairstyle and her stale sandwiches would never be welcomed at the in crowd's lunch table. She was mostly okay with that. It made it a lot easier for her to focus on her school work and the friends that actually gave half a damn about her, specifically the one standing beside her in the Andrews' kitchen on a Friday night. She looked up at the tall male, smiling as he returned her glance. "My dad would kill me if I ever brought home a boyfriend." She said with a chuckle. He probably wouldn't. He already believed that FP was her secret boyfriend because of the one time they weren't as sneaky as they thought they were down at the Wyrm. It didn't go as poorly as she expected but it was still awkward as hell.

"Of course, you can't be caught being a whore." He said with a nod, laughing under his breath at how ludicrous that notion was. Her father was a nasty piece of work in his eyes, and probably in the eyes of anyone else who has ever known him to be fair.

She nodded her head, smile fading slightly because his joke wasn't really a joke. It was her reality. Her father had become hypersensitive when it came to women. He didn't want his daughter to turn into the wife who left him for another man, his own brother. Misogynistic views seeped into his veins, pulsing through him until he became a very hateful man. He loved his daughter but he didn't realise how damaging his attitudes were towards her. She was a product of a teen pregnancy that resulted in a quickie wedding and 14 years of marriage. She didn't think it was so wrong of her to want to date someone in high school, and in her upcoming senior year at that.

"You know I may have stored away some food in the basement. If we're lucky we can sneak down there, have our own party?" FP suggested, walking across the room to grab a whatever drink he could find, make sure they had enough to sustain them for however long they'd be able to get away with it. Alice hadn't even said yes yet but he knew she would because they were cut from the same cloth. He could read her pretty well and he was proud of it. He realised she was upset about her dad and this was his way of distracting her. He wasn't so great at talking or feelings, but he knew how to boost her spirits if she let him.

Alice did agree to his plan and the two went one at a time, slipping away inconspicuously. FP was the first one down the stairs, he set the drinks down on the coffee table that sat in front of the couch. He kicked his feet up and made himself comfortable. "So where are these snacks you've stored away for the winter?" Alice asked as she approached the piece of furniture. He reached down beneath them to pull up the couch cover that was hiding the gap between the floor and the bottom of the couch. He pulled out a bag of chips, and then another.

"Don't say I never took care of you, Smithy." He said to her as he tossed the bag up to her. She opened it up and kneeled down on the couch cushion beside him. She took out a couple before resting the bag between them and sitting down to make herself comfortable too.

She laughed at the loud crunch that came from her as she ate. He cracked a smile too, looking across at her in the silence. They could technically hear the muffled sound of the music from upstairs, but it wasn't anything like being up there surrounded by it. FP opened one of the cans of beer he had swiped and took a sip from it, offering the second to Alice who took it graciously. "You know I wouldn't mind having this much space some day. My whole house could fit in this room and Fred's family aren't even rich." She said, eyes moving in front of herself so she could take in the sight of the room again. She knew she was dirt poor, but she wished she wasn't. One day she wanted to have a great big house in the Northside with a husband and a couple of kids. She might even get a dog even though she didn't know how to take care of one, she would learn just like she would learn how to be a mom. She would love to be a mother, not now, but one day.

FP didn't know if this was a trap if she wanted to get him into some kind of deep conversation. He simply nodded his head to her words, concentrating on the drink in his hand. "You will someday." He said to her when she didn't continue talking. He wasn't about to speak about his hopes and dreams or lack of them, but he knew that she had her head in the clouds some, and wanted to be better than her own mom. He wanted the same when it came to his dad but he wasn't going to dream too big about that one. He didn't think he was going to get too far in life but he had made his peace with that.

Alice turned towards him with a shy little smile. "Do you think so?" She questioned, waiting for his little nod before she took another sip from her drink and allowed herself to smile as big as she could.

Alice didn't care if Hal wanted to share custody of their daughter, or keep his half of the Register, she knew that there was one thing she wouldn't let him share with her, and that was her house. She earnt it. She built herself up for years and years until this home that she had made for her family had become her pride and joy. After she had finished her meal in the awkward silence, she walked to the sink and started filling it with warm soapy water. She was going to act as though nothing had changed. She was getting her divorce, and keeping her house.


	3. Chapter 3

"It's a hunk of junk," Alice told the two teenage boys. She took a step back from the van and glanced over at Hermione to see if she had the same thoughts as she had.

Hermione chuckled in amusement and placed a hand on Fred's back. "Tell her what you two bafoons are naming it." She said to him, knowing that Alice wasn't going to be impressed by that fun little tidbit either.

Alice couldn't hear the words Fred was mumbling bashfully. She took a step closer toward the boy, ignoring FP who was conveniently remaining silent on the matter.

"Speak up, we can't quite hear that," Hermione said to her boyfriend, placing a hand behind her ear.

"The shaggin' wagon." Fred said at a slightly louder volume.

Alice rolled her eyes so hard that her head started to hurt. She kept her eyes closed for a moment as a sigh spilt from her lips. "And who exactly are you going to be shagging in this beat up, old, sorry excuse of a car?" She questioned, eyes shooting toward FP this time.

FP was leaning up against the driver's side door, one arm inside the opened window, the other hand resting on the roof of the car. "Never you mind." He said to the blonde.

Alice snickered and shook her head in disapproval.

"It doesn't matter what it's called," Fred told the two girls as he walked over to the other side of the vehicle. He opened the back door and crawled into the back of the car. "There's plenty of room, we can actually be comfortable at the drive-in with this car." He pointed out.

"I am not laying in the back of that thing until it's been thoroughly washed and stops smelling like stale pizza and marijuana," Hermione informed her boyfriend.

FP let out a chuckle as he stepped away from the driver's side. "So what you're saying is, that you'll be happy to get on your back if we clean this thing up?" He asked Hermione with a smirk.

Alice rolled her eyes and walked around the vehicle to inspect it some more. She didn't know how either one of them was going to afford to restore the old thing, but she definitely had no desire to be the fifth wheel at the drive-in. FP would be deflowering some cheerleader, and the other pair would be fondling each other to some capacity right beside them. She had no interest in taking part in that, none at all. She listened as Hermione and FP bickered in the Andrews' driveway. She had no idea how Fred had gotten away with getting a car after his parents learnt of the party he threw when they were out of town, but maybe being an only child on the north side of town had its benefits in that regard too. She clapped her hands together which brought attention back to her. "I have to go." She announced. "Someone has to pay the bills and it sure as hell isn't my dad." She sighed. Having a summer job wasn't ideal, but she would rather work a few afternoons a week instead of living on the street because her father was too drunk and stupid to keep a job of his own.

"I'll walk with you," FP suggested. He grabbed his bag from the front seat of the car and walked over to meet Alice by the garage. She pushed her sunglasses along her nose and tied her hair up so it was off of her collar, she gave FP a small smile before waving at the other two teens.

The pair walked in silence until they reached the stop sign at the end of the street. Alice turned her head toward FP and gave him a once over. He looked different in summer attire, she thought he might even have the start of a tan coming on. "You got yourself a summer girlfriend lined up yet?" She asked curiously. He didn't have any trouble finding someone to hang off his arm and they both knew that.

FP laughed and shook his head. "Is that all I am to you? A womaniser?" He questioned after calming down.

Alice shrugged and pushed her thumbs into the pockets of her denim shorts. "I guess not." She said to him as her eyes went forward and she started walking again. "I didn't mean to offend, but you do have a lot of girlfriends." She pointed out. She didn't know why it mattered, but somehow it did. He was the kind of guy that made everyone feel special when he talked to them, bar only the guys he didn't get along with so well.

FP shrugged his shoulders and focused on kicking a stone he'd been occupying himself with for the last several houses. "Not at the same time." He stated, hoping she knew he wasn't that kind of guy. He might hang out with girls a lot, maybe even date a few but he'd never deliberately deceived any of them, not in the way she was no doubt thinking.

"No, I suppose not," Alice said with a small nod. She thought for sure that he might be upset with her, but there wasn't anything she could do to take back the words she'd already spoken. "Your dad comes into the bar when I'm working." She said to him after the awkward silence became too much for her.

FP nodded his head. He didn't know what she was trying to achieve by bringing up his dad, but it certainly did not make him feel any better. He kicked the stone a little too far and it landed in the middle of the street. He gave up on trying to retrieve it and instead took out a cigarette from his back pocket. "Bet he's spending his disability checks wisely." He commented after retrieving his lighter from the other pocket.

Alice's smile faded some because she knew he didn't want to talk about his old man either. FP's father was a nasty piece of work, she could relate to having a difficult family member, but at least hers hadn't kicked her out of home. "There's a lot of those serpents there too." She added, wondering if that would peak his interest more.

FP shrugged and let out a puff of smoke. "The Wyrm is their den, what did you expect?" He asked, glancing at her quickly before his eyes darted away.

She'd only been working at the Wyrm for a week, and although she and FP used to sneak in together for fun, Alice's recollection of serpents was very limited. Growing up in Riverdale it was rare that anyone had gone through life without hearing stories, legends about the infamous gang the Southside Serpents. They were notorious for getting up to no good. The Northsiders weren't the only ones who were prejudice against them, it was hard to tell exactly who was involved with those snakes since a lot of them blended into society. Alice had seen a few jackets, and the occasional tattoo but those who hid their involvement well just weren't on her radar until now.

Alice turned toward FP and nodded her head. He was right, she shouldn't be so surprised that a gang was hanging out at a gang hang out, and yet she was, and it made her all the more curious about them. "I'm just saying." She shrugged and turned to face the direction she was walking in. "I just haven't seen that many of them before, not in the same place together really. Do you think if I asked them questions they'd answer me?" She asked, wondering if somehow she could be the first person to ever get the scoop on the Southside Serpents. She wanted to be a writer, she wanted to have the kind of career that made other writers jealous of her work, so getting a coveted scoop on the gang would definitely give her something to brag about in her upcoming career.

FP shook his head as a frown snuck over his brow. "Just leave them well enough alone, Alice. You don't want to get tangled up with a bunch of snakes. Just stick to wiping tables and cleaning up piss." He said in annoyance.

Alice frowned then too, she didn't know what had gotten into him, but it hurt knowing that he was mad at her. "I know my way from here if you want to head off." She said quietly, wrapping her arms around herself as a subconscious means of protection.

FP sighed and looked at her. He hadn't meant to be as harsh as he came across, it was just complicated and he really didn't want her to get hurt. He nodded his head and pushed his hair back out of his face. "I'll see you around." He mumbled, looking down at the ground.

Alice muttered a quick goodbye before she shuffled off in the direction she needed to be in. She didn't look back, she thought if she did she might shed a tear, and Alice Smith didn't shed tears in front of anyone, especially not the boys who made her feel like crying in the first place.


	4. Chapter 4

Alice was pressed up against the bar, eyes focused on the wall opposite her as she tried to concentrate on the movements of her tongue. She blocked out the voices of the men sitting in front of her, commentating on whether or not she could actually pull it off. She knew that she could, it would just take a moment, possibly longer than she first predicted but it was happening.

"Come on darlin', you don't have to impress us." One of the senior aged serpents told her in a sleazy way. She would have bit back at him if it weren't for the fact that she was trying not to swallow the cherry stem that was being twisted around in her mouth. She started to cough, and the worry on each of the men's eyes would have been amusing if her own eyes didn't start to water. She held her hand out in front of her mouth so she could spit it out. After wiping her watery eyes on her sleeve she picked up the stem between her finger and her thumb. "What did I tell ya?" She asked, watching as they all inspected the knot, making sure that she had in fact tied it like she had predicted.

"That's one fine party trick young lady." One of the men said with an impressed smirk.

Alice shrugged her shoulders and dropped the step on the counter. She wiped her hands and found the cloth she had been using to clean up spilt drinks with. "Not just a pretty face, huh?" She grinned, loving the attention. She wasn't blind to the fact that they were chatting up an underaged girl. She had no intentions of encouraging them further, but it was nice knowing that she could impress a group of people somehow, especially at the Wyrm which had been incredibly lonely for her. She took a few steps down the bar and sat a drink down in front of a man who had certainly had enough for the night.

"There you go, dad." She said with a sigh. It was non-alcoholic, but he was too drunk to know the difference at this point. She placed both hands on her side of the bench and watched as he went to pick up the glass. He took a short sip before setting it down and finally looking across at her.

"Ali, why are you working at a shithole like this?" He asked her in a slurred voice. He didn't know when his daughter got this job, but he didn't think it was a great place for a young woman to spend her time.

"You forgot to pay the water bill, and the phone bill, which is a good thing since we didn't pay for electricity anyway." She listed off. "We don't have any money since you got fired." She added, hoping that he would just drop it and not get upset with her over trying to keep their family afloat. All her dad ever did was drink and complain lately. He'd already given her this same speech last time he found out where she worked. He had forgotten all about it by now which wasn't a surprise to Alice at all.

"I didn't forget." He insisted, shaking his head. "I paid it. They're just assholes trying to take advantage of the poor."

Alice shook her head. She knew that wasn't true. Her father spent what little money he had left on getting drunk, and now he was trying to do the same with the money she was bringing home to pay their overdue bills. "Well, I'm sure that you'll be able to make sure that never happens again one you find yourself a new job." She said to him with a forced smile. He always knew how to stress her out, or tear her down when she was having a good time. "I have to go and get this man a drink, I'll see you at home." She said, leaning across the bar to press a kiss to her father's forehead. She pulled back and walked across to a paying customer.

After pouring drinks for a hours, Alice was finally given a short break. She picked up her purse from behind the bar and headed out the back door to get some fresh air out in the alleyway. She sat down on an old crate and swung her legs back and forth as she relaxed in the night air. A summer breeze was the only thing that made being outside more bearable than being indoors. Her eyes remained closed as her thoughts scattered between all of her current worries, and her trying to forget about them entirely. FP hadn't spoken to her since the afternoon he'd walked her part of the way to the bar. She didn't know what was going on with him or where his head was at, but she had already started to miss his company.

When she heard footsteps she thought for a moment that it might be her lucky day, FP might show up and want to be friends again, in her vision he would rock up and say something that made her laugh, and all awkwardness would be long forgotten. That wasn't the case at all. She opened her eyes to see a group of serpents shuffling past her to get to the back door. She didn't recognise any of them, but each and every one had a rougher exterior than the last. She'd been working in amongst serpents for the last two weeks, but that didn't mean she knew of all of them. There were men who were more friendly than others, and the women mostly kept to themselves. She knew there were younger serpents closer to her age but most of them didn't spend much time in the bar. At least not when she was working.

Alice pulled her legs up against her chest as if protecting herself until all of the men were inside the building and she felt safe enough to drop her arms and relax again. FP's warning for her to leave the gang alone rang in her ears. She knew that gangs were dangerous, but she never expected to feel that danger from sitting back and watching a group of people walk by her.

FP walked out the back door with an unlit cigarette between his lips. He knew Alice had slipped out the door not too long before him which was why he conveniently made a choice to go for a smoke break while she was still there. He reached into his back pocket to grab a lighter and walked over to where the bottle blonde was sitting. "You still want to interview a serpent?" He asked her teasingly as he sat down next to her.

Alice watched FP's fingers as he flicked the lighter on and the flame flashed before meeting the end of his cigarette. "Still want to ice me out?" She asked him in return. Her feelings were hurt after he stopped talking to her over something so meaningless. He was sitting beside her as if nothing had gone wrong, as if she didn't feel entirely conflicted about where they were and what the hell was going on. They were friends and it was hard for her when he did things like that. He would go through periods of icing her out to a point where she got so frustrated with him and would convince herself that if he stopped she wouldn't speak to him again.

FP shrugged. "Who said I wanted to do that?" He questioned after exhaling a small cloud of smoke.

Alice let out a sigh and turned her head away from him. "Actions speak louder than words." She commented, hoping he would just get the hint and she wouldn't have to explain how upset it made her.

"Yeah. Guess that's true." He commented, staring across at the hall opposite them. "I didn't mean to go cold on you. Just had a lot of shit on my mind lately."

Alice nodded her head. She wasn't sure how true that was, but she sure hoped that he wasn't just recycling old excuses. "Heard you have a girlfriend." She said, turning her head to look at him for half a second.

FP let out a snort. "I don't have a girlfriend. You need to stop paying attention to all that gossip, it'll rot your brain."

Alice didn't know why she felt relief when he told her that. She just knew that the thought of him spending time with some girl, while he kept shutting her out, it just made her feel awful about herself. "I don't have to work tomorrow if you wanted to hang.." She offered, hoping that he'd say yes. She didn't like putting herself out on a limb for anybody, and FP was no exception.

FP nodded his head. "Yeah, we can hang." He answered softly, leaning in closer so his shoulder would press up against hers. "On one condition."

"What's that?" She questioned with a quizzical brow.

"We don't piss each other off this time. I fucking hate not seeing you."

Alice smiled because that's all she really needed to hear from him.


	5. Chapter 5

The Twilight Drive in was buzzing like it typically was on a summer evening. Teenagers scrambling to find the best cuddle partners in the backs of trucks and station wagons, families gathering together for a family night out, and serpents lurking in the shadows, downing contrabanded beverages out of paper bags. Alice walked between blanket forted trucks, and huddled groups of kids enjoying a night out. She tapped her knuckles on the window of Fred's car. He turned around, smile across his lips when he saw the girl arriving with an arm full of snacks. "You legend." He said to the blonde as he opened the door and walked with her around to the back of the car.

The trunk was up, and Hermione laid back against the pillows, Walkman in her hand. "Third wheel, much?" She asked Alice teasingly as her boyfriend crawled into the back of the car. Alice handed him the food she had brought before climbing into the car herself.

"As long as you're not planning on getting it on back in here, I'll gladly third wheel the pair of you. There's nothing better to do on a Friday night around here anyway." Alice told the girl. She pulled her knees up to her chest and leaned back against the wall of the car.

"Aren't you going to ask?" Hermione questioned. She dropped her Walkman and sat up in a more comfortable position. She was surprised Alice hadn't asked for FP considering how close the two of them usually were.

Alice rolled her eyes. "Ask you what, Hermione?" She asked, acting naïve because she didn't want to give the other girl the satisfaction of knowing her mind had wandered there.

"The whereabouts of one Forsythe Pendleton Jones Junior." Fred interjected. He was laid back against the front seats, the bottoms of his sneakers facing Alice with a fresh wad of bubble gum just inches from her jean skirt.

She pulled a face at the boy. "He's probably sucking face with the skank whose gum you trotted on." She guessed with a shrug.

Fred let out a groan and immediately reached down to take off his gum covered shoe.

His girlfriend let out a dry snicker, eyes moving from the boy straight back to the Southsider to her left. "He's coming. Alone. You can bitch about the movie together all night long." She told her, knowing that Alice would prefer some kind of company other than third wheeling like originally planned.

Alice looked up from the cuticles she had been playing with. "Great. Late as always." She commented before looking around to find a spot for her to make herself comfortable. She scooted around to the other side of Hermione before laying back against one of the cushions Fred had shoved into his dad's car before he left.

"Fred you never told me this was going to be an orgy. I would have worn my best underwear." FP said as he poked his head around the back of the car.

"You wouldn't need underwear in an orgy, FP." Alice scoffed, looking up at the boy.

He let out a laugh before moving past Hermione to lay down next to her. "You would know." He whispered as he took up the remaining space on her cushion with his big head. She moved slightly to make more room.

"Which movies are playing tonight?" He asked Hermione who usually knew these things. He always had questions for the girl because her organisational skills were something he envied.

Hermione looked across at the pair. She knew they weren't dating but sometimes she wondered if they were showing her and Fred up. They were more affectionate than herself and her boyfriend and she didn't know if that was on them, or on her. "A Stranger Among Us." She answered before glancing over at her boyfriend who was busy furiously trying to clean the gum off of his shoe.

"Never heard of it." FP admitted as he laid back and stared up at the ceiling.

"You've never heard of any movie we come to see." Alice pointed out.

He chuckled. "Doesn't change that I haven't this time around either." He pointed out, leaning into her body despite not needing to steal any warmth.

"It's too hot for you to be all up in my business." She complained almost immediately.

"All up in your business?" He asked, raising an eyebrow. He cocked one leg around her body with the pure intention of annoying the girl. "Like this?" He asked, deliberately trying to provoke a reaction.

"Oh, get off. You weigh a tonne." She whined, desperately trying to shift the weight from his leg.

FP let out a belly laugh as he let her struggle for a moment longer. He didn't intend on taking it too far. He knew the difference between genuine annoyance, and Alice having enough of him. He scooted over after releasing her from his hold, giving her all of the space, she desired.

"Give me some of those." Alice demanded of Fred who had since given up on cleaning his shoe and was now helping himself to the bag of candy Alice had so thoughtfully provided. He handed the paper bag over to the blonde, who immediately started rummaging around for her favourites.

FP tried to sneak past her hand to grab a couple, with no such luck. "Wait your turn." Alice told him as she moved the bag away from any other wandering hands.

••

It was partway through the movie when Hermione insisted Alice accompany her to the restrooms. She didn't want to walk alone in the dark, not with so many undesirable individuals lurking around in the shadows. Alice had no fear at all as she walked alongside the other girl. Hermione disappeared into the bathroom, leaving the blonde to wait outside, tapping her toes against the concrete.

"Brave of you to show your face after what you've been up to this evening." Penelope Blossom snickered as she walked up behind her.

Alice turned her head. She was curious as to what the red head was referring to, mostly.

"And what crime is it that I've committed this time?" She asked, raising both brows quizzically.

"Don't act so innocent you southside slut." Penelope scoffed. "Everybody has heard all about that orgy you've hosted in the back of that van."

Alice let out a throaty laugh. "Oh." She said, smile spreading across her lips. "You feel left out?" She asked, playing along for the sake of her own entertainment. "I would have invited you to join, but you're not related to anyone of us. Sorry."

Penelope's jaw tightened, Alice's words making an impact straight away. "So, you admit it." She said in disgust.

"I admit nothing, babe. You're the one walking around like you've stepped in dog shit. Maybe if you smiled once in a while, you'd have enough friends for an orgy." Alice said to her with a chuckle. "But we know hell would freeze over before you made any friends…"

"Alice?" Hermione asked as she walked out of the bathroom. "What's going on here?"

Alice shook her head and shoved her hands into the pockets of her overalls. "Penelope was just saying how she wished she'd known there was room in the back of the station wagon, it's been forever since she's had a red vine." Alice said, eyes remaining on the Blossom.

Penelope's sour expression softened slightly, although she was still quite infuriated by Alice's words.

Hermione smiled. "Oh. Next time then." She said kindly, turning to look at the blonde again. "You ready to head back?" She asked, nudging Alice's arm with her elbow.

Alice nodded her head before she turned on her heel with enthusiasm. She knew that Penelope and her Vixens were the kind of girls that Hermione wanted to be like, she knew that Fred's friendship with FP was the only reason the two of them were friends right now, that was the only reason she wasn't starting shit with Penelope right then and there. She walked back to the car with the other girl in silence.

••

The Southside was rowdy after the film came to a close. Alice walked alongside FP from Sunnyside where Fred had dropped the pair of them off. He was unaware of FP's current address, or lack thereof, and Alice didn't live far off, so it made sense as to why he had dropped the pair off together.

"Your dad home?" FP asked as they walked past a busted street light.

Alice looked up at the boy and shrugged her shoulders. "I don't know. He's probably face-down at the Wyrm by now. Won't be too long before someone sends him home in a cab. Another fee we can't afford." She answered bitterly.

FP let out a sigh because he understood how frustrated she was. "I can stay till he gets back, if you want?" He offered, unsure if that was something Alice would want, or even need.

Alice kicked a stone across the pavement before looking up at her friend. "If you have nothing better to do."

He smiled and shrugged his shoulders. "I don't know where I'm gonna crash. I literally have nothing else to do than to stay with you till I figure it out."

"You really need to find a place FP. You can't spend your senior year not having a home." She told him.

"I will work something out. Don't worry." He assured her, although he wasn't so certain about that. Nobody wanted to take in a teenager, especially not someone so troublesome like he was.

"Coach likes you, doesn't he? You're his star player. Maybe he'll have room..." She suggested as they neared her home.

FP ran his fingers through his hair before shaking his head. "Nah, Alice. I can't ask him for something like that."

She nodded her head, not wanting to push him on that. "If my dad was any other dad, I would let you stay. You know, that right?"

He nodded. "Yeah, Ali. I know." He said softly, stepping back as she went to unlock her front door.

"Alice! Look who it is! Your bitch of a mother!" Mr Smith exclaimed as his daughter stepped inside.

Alice wore a frown as she walked around the corner to find out what the hell was going on.


	6. Chapter 6

It had been years since Alice had last seen both of her parents in the same room. She couldn't quite recall the very last time she had been in the presence of both her mother and her father, but that had all changed now. She dropped her bag at the front door and rushed around the corner to where her mother was sitting awkwardly, legs crossed ever so smartly, as her father looked the total opposite in his wife beater, and boxer shorts that were long overdue for a replacement.

"Mom." She said quietly as her eyes met with the woman, she thought she would never see again.

"I think you're old enough now to call me Liz." Her mother said, waving her hand in front of herself as though It were no big deal she had shown up out of the blue.

Alice let out a laugh in disbelief. "Right. Liz." She said with a short nod. She had completely forgotten about FP who was lingering behind her, feeling entirely out of place.

"Is this your boyfriend?" Elizabeth Smith questioned her teenaged daughter.

Alice opened her mouth to protest. She had to turn her head slightly to look at the boy after being reminded of his presence.

"No. We're just friends. Thought I'd make sure Ali got home safely in the dark." FP answered politely.

Alice's eyes darted over to her father when she heard him snort in response. She knew he didn't approve of her friendship with FP purely because he was a boy, but she didn't care. The boy was good to her better than her own father was that was for sure.

"Oh, how sweet." Elizabeth cooed, looking between the two teenagers. "Wait, wait I know you! You're that Jones boy." She laughed, clapping her hands together as she tilted her head to get a better look at him. "I went to school with your old man. You look just like him. It's uncanny." She said in admiration.

Alice didn't have to glance back at the boy to know how uncomfortable he was feeling just hearing his father mentioned. She didn't know what to do to make him feel better. Her mother was like a stranger to her by now and reigning her in wasn't something Alice knew how to do any longer. "Mom-Liz, what are you doing here? You didn't call. We don't have any spare beds." She pointed out, wanting to bring the conversation away from Forsythe Senior.

Elizabeth shook her head. "I'm not staying the night Alice. I just wanted to see you tonight. Your step father and I have news and I just couldn't wait to tell you." She beamed.

Alice felt her throat close up ever so slightly at the mention of her uncle, the man her mother chose to run off with. He would always be her father's brother to her. She could never bring herself to see him as a father figure, never. "News?" She asked smally, fingernails pressing into the palm of her hand as she tried to contain her anxious thoughts.

"You're going to be a big sister." She grinned, looking across at her eldest daughter.

Alice let out a shaky breath as the room felt like it was closing in on her. She didn't dare look across at her father because she knew he was filled with so much hate toward the woman already, this would surely push her over the edge.

She jumped slightly as a hand pressed gently against her back. Her whole demeanour changed upon realising it was only FP offering his support. He was the only person who knew what this meant to her, how hard it all was to swallow. "That's great, mom." She said quietly. "I have to walk FP out now. It's getting late and I want to go to bed." She said quickly.

FP didn't say anything when Alice grabbed his hand and started marching back toward the front door. He didn't say anything again when they made it outside into the warm summer breeze. He didn't have a reference point for this situation, but he'd be damned if he didn't try and offer some kind of comfort to his friend. He understood better than anyone how complicated families were, shitty ones at that.

Alice dropped his hand and placed a hand against her chest as she tried to find enough air to breathe. Everything felt like it was out of her control and she couldn't quite handle it. She looked over at FP before her vision started to blur. She closed her eyes and let out a shaky breath, one which was soon replaced with her inability to take in a breath at all.

"Alice." He said quietly, keeping a short distance between them because he didn't want to overcrowd her. She clearly needed a moment, and some personal space.

She held her hands out, unable to speak. She just needed him to stay where he was while she caught her breath. Her head felt like it was spinning out of control. It was as if the world was crashing down around her. Her mother walked back in as if nothing had happened and expected her to just be okay with the fact that she was moving on and starting a new family. It wasn't right. It wasn't fair. She already had one family. She already had a kid. Why did she need another one?

"I can't." She whispered as hot tears finally fell down her cheeks, landing on the concrete beneath her in the tiniest of droplets. "I can't do this." She whispered, feeling like she might collapse.

FP stepped close to her as quickly as he could, wrapping his arms around her time frame. She let go of the weight on her shoulders, her body falling into his embrace, so he was holding all of her weight. He pressed a kiss to the top of her head, whispering, "you don't have to, I've got you."


	7. Chapter 7

"Thought I'd find you here." Liz said as she approached her eldest daughter.

Alice was busy cleaning glasses behind the bar, wanting to make sure she was prepared for the afternoon rush. It was Friday, and that meant for a lot of the men who frequented the Whyte Wyrm, it was their last work day of the week. The construction workers would be flooding in before long wanting to ring in the weekend with a cold beer and a good time with their fellow serpents.

The teenager looked up upon hearing her mother's words. "And how the hell would you know I was here?" She asked, raising her eyebrows.

Liz shook her head and let out an uneasy chuckle. "Oh Ali, your father told me you work here. That's all." She said with a small smile.

Alice rolled her eyes and turned back to the glass she had been cleaning. This time her actions were vigorous. Her mother brought out a side to her that she wasn't proud of and thank goodness the only thing she could do in her current situation was to scrub a glass clean.

She had been under the impression that her mother would have left town by now. It had been a week since she had shown up unexpectedly and although she would never admit it, Alice had found herself disappointed by how easily her father was letting her back into their lives. It wasn't as though he still held a torch for the woman. He spent most of his time trashing her and comparing his only daughter to the woman who broke his heart. That wasn't it but he still hadn't expressed himself in a way Alice might have preferred. He didn't tell her to fuck off. He didn't ban her from contacting their daughter. Instead he was talking to her, giving her personal updates and Alice couldn't stand it.

"You should call me Alice, nobody calls me Ali anymore." Alice said after realising she couldn't possibly get her glass any cleaner.

Liz smiled as she pulled up a stool and sat down opposite her eldest child.

Alice set the glass down with the others and took a step back to look around for something else to do. The last thing she wanted was to give her mother the impression that she wanted to talk to her, because that was not going to happen.

"Alice. Your father told me you like to write."

The blonde turned around so fast she almost felt dizzy. "He told you what?" She asked, letting out a bitter laugh. "How would he possibly know anything about me when all he does is blame me for you leaving him!" She snapped, shaking her head in disbelief.

"Alice." She said quietly, face falling because she hadn't realised the situation she had left behind.

It didn't surprise Alice to see the shock on the woman's face. She knew her mother hadn't been forced to take responsibility for her actions yet. She didn't know if she could be bothered to make sure she did because Alice wasn't sure she cared enough anymore.

"Don't." Alice told her. There wasn't anything the woman could say that would change what the last few years had been like for her, so she didn't even want to hear it.

••

"Can't we get arrested for this?" Alice asked as she reached up to grab hold of FP's hand. He pulled her up onto the ledge he was already standing on.

He shook his head, although he was lying. "It's summer break, nobody cares about this place when there's no school on." He assured her, grabbing hold of her gently just to steady her.

She looked down at where her feet were situated for just a second before she moved to follow FP over the fence. He jumped down first and reached out to help her down onto the grass. "It's different when there's nobody here." She whispered, following him as he walked across the football field. It was dark and a little colder than either one had expected it to be, but they were fine as they wandered through the very field FP brought the Bulldogs to victory last football season.

"Why are you whispering?" He asked in amusement.

"Because we just snuck into our high school." She said, letting her voice get a little louder.

He grinned across at her before turning around so he could walk backward across the grass. "There's no one else here but you and me, baby." He pointed out, lifting his arms out as he took a few more backward steps.

Alice smiled at him, secretly hoping he would trip over so that cocky smile on his face would disappear.

"I know you're secretly a bad girl, Alice." He taunted, dropping his arms to his sides. "You were always a trouble maker. I haven't forgotten fifth grade when you blamed Marty Mantle for tagging your desk. I knew it was you." He grinned.

Alice ran her fingers through her blonde curls before letting out a laugh. "Well he tagged all over everything else. It's not my fault it was a believable story." She defended.

"True, true." He nodded as he paused in the middle of the field.

"Why do you want me to be so bad for anyway?" She questioned, raising both of her eyebrows as she looked up at the taller teenager.

"I don't. I have no stakes in the matter, but I know your good girl act is exactly that." He shrugged.

Alice smiled at him. She couldn't exactly dispute his words because right now she didn't know who she was. The last few years she had spent all of her time trying to stay out of trouble enough to keep her dad from having an excuse to hate her. All she ever did was try to stay on his good side and right now it just felt like it was all for nothing. Nothing she did mattered. He didn't care what she did now because his stupid wife was back in town. He had hardly shown her any attention since that happened, like he had forgotten his quest for her to be perfect. She didn't understand his obsession with the woman he had spent so long hating but that's what was happening in her family right now and Alice just needed a break from it all.

"Forsythe. Why did you bring me here?" She asked after a brief moment of self-reflection. A part of her wanted this to be something special, but every other part of her believed this was something he did with all the girls in his life, brought them to the place he was at his best, their own little spot. She didn't know if she was one of his conquests or if tonight was him trying to cheer her up. She tilted her head as she watched FP turn back toward her.

"Do you have to call me that?" He asked her with a grimace.

"It is your name."

"It's his name." He pointed out, shoving his hands into his pockets. It all made him uncomfortable but he wasn't going to make it into a huge deal. That wasn't his style.

Alice nodded her head. "FP, why'd you bring me here?" She rephrased with an arm outstretched toward him.

He looked down as her fingertips brushed against his elbow. "Thought you needed to go to some place to get your mind off of everything." He answered, smile forming as he looked up into her eyes again.

Alice smiled back, dropping her hand back to her side. "So you thought a football field would be the way to cheer me up?"

He let out a laugh. "Yeah?"

"Wow you know me so well." She teased.

Alice tilted her head back to glance up at the star filled sky. It was the one thing she loved about living in a small town in the middle of nowhere. The sky wasn't polluted or filled with skyscrapers, you could see nothing but sky for miles.

"Is it working?" FP whispered, watching her in adoration.

She dropped her head down to look back at him. "It's not failing." She answered.

FP nodded his head and watched her in the moonlight. He could see a hint of a smile and it made him smile himself.

Alice took a step closer, eyes remaining on the boy in front of her. She liked that he always went out of his way to make sure she was okay. She liked that he did reckless things for the right reasons, and the fact that everything that had gone wrong in his life should make him bitter and filled with rage, but it didn't. He didn't entirely sour and she liked that. She liked that a lot.

He reached out to brush a piece of hair away from her lips, hand resting on her shoulder as they both silently stared at one another.

"Hey! You two shouldn't be in here!" A voice called out from behind the fence.

FP looked up to see who had caught them. He recognised the security guard because of the numerous times the man had kicked him out of the school grounds after hours. He knew if he was recognised he would be in deep shit. He jerked away from Alice, giving her a wary expression when she looked up at him in confusion.

"Now's your chance to be bad for a night." He told her. "Because I'm gonna need you to run like hell right about now." He told her, turning around to bolt across the field. Alice looked over at the security guard who had since unlocked the gate and was now alerted to the fact that he had a runner.

Alice hesitated for a second before she ran after the boy who had brought her in the first place.


End file.
